T/M: Really wild and hard to pin down. Very hoppy, with big floral and citrus flavors along with a strong piney, grassy element. Somewhat bitter up front, with some funky, yeasty notes, and then a sweeter finish. The malt base is subtle but present, and provides some stout-like hints of caramel and chocolate.

O: A very odd beer, but it's certainly meant to be odd. Big hops,funky saison yeast, and stout notes are combined and never quite blend together. It's very unique and interesting, and works about as well as this crazy idea ever could. (686 characters)

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Poured into a tulip glass jet black with a nice looking large fluffy tannish colored head that stuck like glue leaving multiple globs of lace as it settled slowly.Aromas were dry and very earthy...almost dirty,light spiced phenols and mild smoke rounded out the nose.The palate was dry as well with earthy notes and phenols mainly,the earthiness was to big for my lining,the smoke comes into play more in the aftertaste.Not overly impressed with this offering sad to say. (471 characters)

In the interest if full disclosure, saison's aren't my fave but by no means am I opposed and with these three brain-trusts, I had to try. Pours a dark brown with minimal head which fades rather fast.Lots of scents like what others have mentioned, none of which really stand out.Taste leaves a bit to be desired. It's not bad, just not great either.Overall, would I buy it again...sure. But it wouldn't be a "must have", just a "should try" given the guys who put their name on the bottle. (492 characters)

Was hoping for a bit more crispness or snap, smoke is pretty hard to find and so is the "Saison" traits ... somewhat Belgian-y and that is about it. Missing the point of this beer, at the bottom of all of the Stone collab brews. Nothing bad, just does nothing for me. (677 characters)

More dark malt, more smoke and I get some subtle pepper, mint, and then hoppy dryness to finish things out. Unusual, off beat, a style bender. Decent fall/winter type of brew. Not my favorite, but worth a try. (431 characters)

T: The funky bite is there built on a dark grain, bread and brown sugar malt foundation. The malt is predominately grainy with a dash of liquid smoke adding a char edge. There is also some banana yeast esters, bittersweet dark chocolate presence, along with an earthy, leafy hop bitterness which also has tinges of citrus peel. The finish is mildly dry with a spicy, acidic bite.

M: The feel is medium to full with a graIny chewiness and a good amount of carbonation adding another layer of interest to the experience.

O: A truly unique brew which is the product of a collaboration between Evil Twin, Stillwater and Stone. Very interesting with layers and layers of complexity which mostly works. With all things new, this brew is difficult to review but the originality found here ultimately succeeds. (1,007 characters)

Bottled on 10/26/12, a trifecta of great brewers came together with one being pretty much the master of the American Saison right now...all three have the collaborative fortitude to do a black beer together considering they all make some of the best dark beers available in craft brewing today. This one pours with a black body jet black with a light fine bubbled creamy tan head, leaves fine lacing down the sides of my tulip shaped chalice. Dry hopping comes thru in terms of earthy pine and mild citrus peels with a dark roasted malts surrounding the hop accents, spicy Belgian yeast gives why to alcoholic phenols and black peppercorns. A pleasant caramel drizzled toast brings out a nuttiness in there as well, all in all chalk full of malt and hops. Flavors collide with the bittering hops here, dark roasted malt bitterness potentiates the pine earthy resinous hops riding the waves of carbonation in my first few sips...as the palate adjusts it's still satisfies with a slightly warming effect of the booze. The dry hopping probably makes and breaks this beer, the strong lingering bitterness really Americanizes this black saison into the hybrid known as the "Perfect Crime" The mouthfeel also welcomes the light smoked meat aspect in the back of the nares, not really dominant against the big hops and dark malts utilized but well played nonetheless. Dry hints of cherry tartness and other vine ripened fruit additions start to explode as the beer warms a bit, complex ale in 12 ounces, I'm guessing this beer keeps getting better considering it's 4/25/13. (1,566 characters)

(Served in a tulip glass)A- This beer pours a jet black opaque body with a thin light tan film of head that is supported by bubbles that race out of the abyss and stick to the bottom of the head.

S- The roasted black malt is very mellow with a cold smoke note in the finish. There is a nice saison yeast ester aroma that turns a bit to new sneaker aroma as it opens, but the aroma always stays light.

T- The nice saison yeast character takes on some dry bubble gum qualities followed by a smooth black malt mellow finish. There is a club soda and cold smoke note to the after taste. As the beer opens some lemon tartness grows quite a bit in the finish. It could be hops but not really distinct, but very pleasant.

M- This beer has a medium-light mouthfeel with no alcohol heat

O- This has all the potential for a train wreck but I would say it truly is the perfect storm. All the flavors come through but they are in just the right balance that it doesn’t get ugly. Each sip made me want another sip just out of pure wonderment. The beer is light and bright even though it has some black malt and smoke flavors. Is this the holotype of a Black Saison? (1,162 characters)

Poured a deep black with a finger wide tan head that dispersed into thin lacing rather quickly. The scent was of licorice and black coffee, with a slight smokey character. Decent, but lacking any complex aromas. The flavor was where the beer captured my senses. It began with sour notes and slight citrus flavors, these remained throughout the sip. The taste than picked up notes of licorice and black coffee as the sip finished. Each sip left a smokey aftertaste that was present, but not overpowering. Quite a good beer in flavor profile. The mouthfeel was quite carbonated, though not enough that the beer was difficult to drink, and the carbonation seemed to compliment the flavors. Overall this is an excellent beer that provided a nice set of flavors that meld quite well together. (787 characters)

The color is a very dark brown, lighter brown creeping in at the edges. A tan head reaches one finger and displays good retention. It sticks around as a tight, creamy foam for as long as there's beer in the glass. Some mixture of patchy and sticky lacing with legs remains.Smoke is in moderation on the nose, and with it comes a slightly woody note along with a very gently tangy hint, a bit of chalkiness, a spicy nip, and some dark fruits. Not too much changes in the flavor, with the sweetness becoming more distinctive and strong and turning char into a tangy/biting sort of finish. The overall character of this beer makes it impossible to identify as a saison. When a little bit of a yeasty and earthy element is discovered underneath, it at least becomes identifiable as a possibility.The body is adequate at a solid medium. A crisp bite starts it off and remains strong, though it overtakes the smoothness that comes out a bit. The chalky dryness hits the palate pretty hard. With the tang, the char and the wood, the feel is extremely dry all the way. (1,062 characters)